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The Hindenburg
'' The Hindenburg'' is a 1975 American Technicolor film based on the disaster of the German airship Hindenburg. The film stars George C. Scott. It was produced and directed by Robert Wise, and was written by Nelson Gidding, Richard Levinson and William Link, based on the 1972 book of the same name by Michael M. Mooney. A. A. Hoehling, author of the 1962 book Who Destroyed the Hindenburg?, also about the sabotage theory, sued Mooney along with the film developers for copyright infringement as well as unfair competition. However, Judge Charles M. Metzner dismissed his allegations.2 A highly speculative thriller, The Hindenburg depicts a conspiracy leading to the destruction of the airship. In reality, while the Zeppelins were certainly used as a propaganda symbol by the Third Reich, and anti-Nazi forces might have had the motivation for sabotage, the theory of sabotage was investigated at the time, and no firm evidence for such sabotage was ever put forward.1 Filmed largely in color (with a mock newsreel presented in black-and-white at the beginning of the film), a portion of the film is presented in monochrome, edited between portions of the historical Hindenburg newsreel footage shot on May 6, 1937. Plot Kathie Rauch (Ruth Schudson), a psychic from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, sends a letter to the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. claiming the Hindenburg zeppelin will explode after flying over New York. In the meantime, Luftwaffe Colonel Franz Ritter (George C. Scott) boards with the intention of protecting the Hindenburg as various threats have been made to down the airship, which some see as a symbol of Nazi Germany. Ritter is assisted by a Nazi government official, SS/Gestapo Hauptsturmführer Martin Vogel (Roy Thinnes), who poses as an "official photographer" of the Hindenburg. However, both operate independently in investigating the background of all passengers and crew on the voyage. Ritter has reason to suspect everyone, even his old friend, Countess Ursula von Reugen (Anne Bancroft), whose Baltic estate in Peenemunde had been taken over by the Nazis and appears to be escaping Germany to visit her daughter in Boston. Other prime suspects include card sharks Emilio Pajetta (Burgess Meredith) and Major Napier (Rene Auberjonois), Edward Douglas (Gig Young), a suspicious German-American ad executive, as well as several crew members and even the Hindenburg captains Pruss (Charles Durning) and Lehmann (Richard A. Dysart). Many possible clues turn out to be red herrings, such as acrobat Joe Spah (Robert Clary) sketching the ship's interior as an idea for a Vaudeville show and mysterious names which later turned out to be the name of race horses on board the Queen Mary (where Douglas' competitor is travelling). Across the Atlantic, the flight slowed down by thunderstorms as well as a rip in the fabric of the upper port tail fin. Hiding from Ritter, the rigger Karl Boerth (William Atherton) tripped on a cable, causing the rip. The next day, the riggers Boerth and Ludwig Knorr (Ted Gehring) are sent outside the fin to repair the damage. Boerth nearly falls overboard when the ship lost altitude and Captain Pruss made the decision to increase speed. Boerth is then pulled back into the ship by Knorr. In Germany, Boerth's girlfriend, Freda Halle, who was rumoured to work for foreigners and having anti-Nazi affiliations, is arrested by the Gestapo. Both Ritter and Vogel soon suspect Boerth is the saboteur, as a former Hitler Youth leader who had become inactive, claiming it was because of his work on the Hindenburg. Ritter attempts to arrest Boerth but he resists and requests help from Ritter, who sympathizes with him because Ritter's son was killed in an accident a year before while in the Hitler Youth. Ritter later receives news that Halle was killed while trying to escape arrest as the Hindenburg crossed the Atlantic. Boerth, upon hearing the news of Halle's death, plans to commit suicide by staying alone aboard the airship as the bomb goes off, to show that there is a resistance against the Nazi party. Boerth insists an explosion in flight with others aboard is the "last thing he wants", and Ritter reluctantly agrees with Boerth to set the bomb to 7:30, when the airship should have landed and passengers disembarked. While setting up the bomb, Boerth drops the knife part which is recovered by a crew member. To cover up the loss of his knife, Boerth steals a knife from fellow rigger Ludwig Knorr. Vogel starts to work behind Ritter's back, arresting Boerth and confiscating the Countess's passport. Additionally, it is shown that Boerth's watch is 5 minutes faster than Ritter's - therefore, the bomb would go up at 7:25 by Ritter's watch. As the airship approaches Lakehurst Naval Air Station at 7:00, Ritter realizes the bomb will explode before the ship can land and searches for Boerth to ask where the bomb is. Vogel is caught by Ritter in the cargo bay torturing Boerth and gets into a fight with Ritter and is knocked unconscious. An injured Boerth tells Ritter the bomb is in the repair patch of gas cell 4. Ritter attempts to defuse the bomb, but is distracted by a now-awakened Vogel and is unable to do so in time. The bomb explodes, killing Ritter instantly and sending Vogel flying down the walkway. Vogel survives, being carried by ground crewmen. Boerth was injured from being tortured by Vogel and later dies of his burns, but manages to set the Channing's dog free before the ship crashes to the ground. The Countess survives the fire by walking down the gangway stairs and reunites with her daughter. Passengers and crew struggle to survive the fire. The final scene of the disaster shows a burnt piece of fabric that said "Hindenburg" among the wreckage. The following day, with the fire cleared, a list of some of the passengers and crew who died or survived is described briefly as well as the common theories of the disaster. The wreckage is examined for the inquiry before being cleaned up. As Herbert Morrison's memorable radio commentary is heard, the Hindenburg is seen flying once again, only to disappear again in the clouds.